Christmas calls for a snow-filled Camelot. Agreed? Agreed.

This is a FUTURE!FIC which means Arthur is King of Albion or, High King and Merlin is Court Sorcerer of Camelot/ Albion. There's going to be a serious bromance fest, hugs, whump and angst, be warned. this will be very very angsty. Oh, and there's no slash. At all.

Please enjoy. :)

A Prophecy.

The land of Albion was buried by a blanket of thick snow. From the outside villages to the very center of the land, the very heart of the kingdom that was Camelot, nothing had escaped the heavy winter. But in the joyful singing of birds that nestled against each other to keep their warmth and in the laughing of the children that slid and played in the cold there was a shared notion of peace and prosperity. It was the Golden Age. It was King Arthur's rule.

Our story begins in the early morning with a tall and thin young man that was skipping through the snow wearing a wide and- as his King would say- idiotic grin on his face. A dark cloak swung behind him as he, once again, sought to maintain his precarious balance and managed to trip over his own feet, going face first into the cold ice.

"Good Heavens, Merlin!"

A sudden and quick leather-gloved hand caught him and then tightened its grip around Merlin's skinny shoulder. "you really are going to kill yourself by doing something stupid, aren't you?"

The exasperated, familiar tone was enough for Merlin's face to break into a sunny smile. He turned around.

"Arthur! I was just going to look for you!"

"It seems that you found me."replied Arthur Pendragon. His grin grew wider as he ruffled his best friend's hair- and a few snowflakes fell from the tousled black hair- before glaring disapprovingly. "and you are covered in snow! Where were you this time Merlin? And don't tell me the druids' because I just spoke to Iseldir and he told me you had left a while ago."

"I was with the druids." Merlin replied, almost too quickly.

Arthur rolled his eyes and, were he the young prince that Merlin had found years ago, he would've screamed his frustration. But now the Golden King just punched his right hand man with a heart-felt shake of his head. "Really, Merlin. Can you be this stupid? You leave a note saying you'd be back before I noticed it and then I have no news from you for three days."

The Court Sorcerer of Albion sniffed and smiled at his King, growing a little skittish when he noticed that Arthur's ears were turning pink.

"Which brings me to what I was about to do before you almost broke your face right now." Arthur continued. He adopted his King Stance as Merlin had baptized it, in which he crossed his arms across his chest, stood straight and devoid his features from any amusement, making his face morph into a regal and stoic expression. Merlin shifted restlessly under Arthur's gaze, preparing for what was coming.

It didn't took long. Just a moment or two before-

"You complete idiot!" Arthur bellowed, hitting him over the head with his palm."Do you know how scared Guinevere was? Do you? Do you know that Gwaine almost ran away to look for you in the middle of a storm? I haven't been able to concentrate properly in anything because I was too busy worrying about my stupid and apparently completely senseless advisor wondering alone in the snow! And Amhar has been crying like hell for hours now..."

The warlock just lowered his gaze. He was kicking himself mentally for not anticipating this. Now that he was no longer a servant but Arthur's trusted advisor and Court Sorcerer, he had forgotten that Arthur suddenly felt he had permission to actually show his concern. So even if it was heart-warming when Arthur acted like he cared it was ridiculous how completely overprotective he could be sometimes.

Like now.

"…What if you tripped over a root and knocked yourself out, Merlin, eventually dying from hypothermia, hmm? What if you managed to get yourself wounded fatally?What if you had forgotten to eat and fainted in the middle of an enemy territory?"

"Now that's never happened-" Merlin tried to protest, only to be silenced by Arthur's incensed look and his own memories. He clasped his mouth shut when he remembered that one time in which he'd been running around after the High King all day and night, barely having the time to change his robes and wash his face before Arthur was requiring his presence on the Council Chambers to sign a treaty with a Druid Tribe from the North. Needless to say, the lack of nourishment kicked in and he tipped over as Arthur shook hands with the Druid Chief.

Arthur hadn't been happy when Gaius had said, raising one eyebrow dangerously high. " This boy has forgotten to eat again!"

The memory alone managed to make the all-mighty warlock groan. After Gwen and all of the knights had given him a piece of their mind Arthur had insisted that Merlin was to eat with him every day at the royal table with Amhar and Gwen. The first few weeks were really unnerving. Arthur, apparently, forgot to eat himself and settled for watching Merlin sip his soup slowly as if he was capable of murdering his Court Sorcerer if he dared to let the spoon down.

"Oh, come on, Arthur…"he began, taping his foot restlessly as he shook snow from his shoulders. "that was only one time, I-"

"Merlin." Arthur did not even let him finish but raised one hand in a gesture that could silence the loudest of Councils. "Did you know that I actually thought for a moment someone had tried to poison you? Those poor druids had to spend a night in the dungeons because you are too much an idiot to actually look out for yourself!"

And Merlin couldn't blame him, not after what had happened at the treaty with Bayard when they were both mere boys and were already walking in the thin thread of destiny.

So, letting one small smile quirk his lips upwards he replied, and his eyes lightened with humor, "Arthur. Don't you think I would've banned your head from physical contact if I didn't trust that you can actually take care of yourself?"

The High King huffed as he answered. "This is completely different since I am capable of taking care of myself…you, on the other hand…"

"I have only saved your live more times than I care to count and keep you alive through impossibly difficult situations."

Suddenly Arthur's shoulders slumped and for such a mighty King his glare lacked the fire that it possessed but, instead, his sky-blue eyes looked troubled. He brought his gloved hand to the brink of his nose and sighed deeply "Just don't do it again, Merlin. Next time you pull something like that again without a good reason the stocks will greet you again. You hear me?"

Merlin smiled as he clasped The King's shoulder softly. "Loud and clear. Now, if you excuse me, I must go get cleaned up before I catch a fever and you can actually fuzz all over me, something that I would rather not deal with right now."

Arthur's eyes opened wide when he realized that Merlin's clothes were soaked from the melting snow and his teeth were quietly shattering. "oh, hell Merlin!" he said, striding towards him and putting his hand on the warlock's forehead " Hell" he repeated " you are catching a fever"

Merlin groaned as he freed himself from Arthur's grasp and started trotting towards his chambers. He didn't feel like getting sick at the moment and it was not the time to have Arthur's glare over him and a sour-toned order to stay inside for the rest of the winter. So Merlin held his head high, ignoring the warm feeling that was spreading through his neck and chest.

...

The news of Merlin's return ( perhaps inferred by Arthur now nonexistent sulky mood) were known by everyone before Merlin was out of his chambers. He was soon hit with an armful of Gwaine and a few pats in the back from Gaius himself before he made his way towards the Council Chambers and smiled at his King, who quickly grinned before listening to his advisers.

"We have had rumors of uprisings in the far west, My Lord" said Lord Gregory, pointing with his finger the spot in the large map they were all studying. "Here and here. Your father's ways Arthur, never really died out. There are those who still believe magic should be punished and these few villages seem to uphold Uther's ways. They are willing to fight Camelot's progress with fire."

The High King felt his Court Sorcerer stiffen by his side. Taking a deep breath Arthur's strong tone voiced his resolve. "Well, we have to make sure they don't get the chance, don't we?"

"They are stubborn, My Lord. They are loyal to your father until they die."

It was then when the High King's gaze traveled to Merlin and his High advisor, the man who knew him inside and out, took one look into his King's eyes before saying gently, "to be loyal is a no crime. However, wanting the death of innocents is. We have to talk to them, try to sort them out."

Arthur smiled at Merlin and his warlock did the same. "Then it is decided. We will talk to them"

"Very well" said Lord Gregory, a smile creeping upon his lips too "I will make the necessary preparations, My Lord."

The sudden sound of the wooden doors opening made each and everyone of those presents- knights and Lords alike- look up in confusion. There, standing, was an old woman. And behind her, unconscious, the guards had to be guarding the door.

Immediately Merlin was standing in front of Arthur, looking so protective and so fiercely loyal that none of the nobles could comprehend why someone would dare cross him. But the witch- the marks on her skin told about her druidic precedence- didn't have any interest in Arthur. She just looked at Merlin.

"Emrys."

Two knights whom snapped out of the shock suddenly caught the old women by her arms, forcing her to kneel down in the cold floor and Merlin, The Emrys, walked towards her, ignoring Arthur's hand in his shoulder.

Kneeling before her, Merlin studied her withered face and unfocused eyes before asking, "Why did you call me that?"

A small smile lit up her sunken cheeks.

"Because that is your name." said she, "You, Emrys, must beware. A choice must be made and you must be true to your heart, no matter how it pains you. You will be shattered but when the dark seems overwhelming light will shine again."

Merlin could sense Arthur's uneasiness behind him and the soft echo of his name '...Merlin.' did nothing to bring him back. The Court Sorcerer of Albion looked right at the woman's soft, tender eyes, trying to understand...

"Are you warning me?" Merlin asked.

"Yes." she breathed.

And then she crumbled to the floor. Dead.

Dun, dun dun...